Leading-in device for vapor-conductors.



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LEADING-IN DEVICE EUR VPOR GONDUGTORS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 20, 1903.

No MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 24, 1904.

PATENT QEEIOE.

MAx vON REOKLTNGHAUSEN, or NEW YORK, N. Y., AssrGNOR To COOPER l HEWTTTELEOTRIOOOMRANY, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

'LEADING-m DEvlCE Fon VAPOR-GONDUCTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,756, dated May 24,1904.V

Appnc'aaon fina February 20,1903. serai No. 144,201. ci@ model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern: l

Be it known thatI, MAX voN REOKLING- HAUSEN, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, and a resident of New York, county of New York, State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leading-InDevices for Vapor-Conductors, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention is intended as an improvement in the leading-in devicesfor gas or vapor electric apparatus wherein a conducting fluidmsuch asmercury, for example-'constitutes one of the electrodes and either afluid or some solid material may constitute the positive electrode. y

The invention will be described in connecnection .with an apparatus inwhich mercury constitutes one of the electrodes; but it should beunderstood that in every instance where mercury is mentioned anyconducting fluid is intended to be included.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a path of betterconductivity through a portion of a mercury electrode, leaving a portionof the mercury exposed beyond'the limits of the better conducting-pathto serve as the electrode-surface. In accomplishing this object I maymake use of a good cond ucting metal, such as copper, or I may use ironor some other metal having greater conductivity than mercury. SimilarlyI may constitute the metal or other conductor 1 described into one ofthe electrodes by itself and may protect the said electrode by a mercuryseal which also admits of the external circulation.

described orwhichneed not be included in the circulation system. In anycase the physical features of my invention may very conveniently andadvantageously be made use of -to facilitate cooling not only by themeans invented by others, but by means devised by myself, as hereindisclosed. Incidentally the external distribution system which I preferto utilize in connection with-the present invention involves the use oftubular extensions running from the main body of the container of theapparatus, and such extensions are most conveniently applied byattaching them, as by screw connections, to the container itself, it

or by reason of iaws in the casting.

being understood that the container or a considerable portion of it ismade of metal and that the extensions are also metallic. Diiiculty has.been experienced in securing a proper seal for the joints vbetween thecontainer and the extensions, and a part of the present inventionrelates to means for obtaining an eiiicient seal at the junction-pointsof theparts mentioned and also to provide a suitable, seal for theentire container-body wherever leakage is made possible either byimperfect joints or by the porosity of the material Broadly considered,this feature involves the idea of using for a seal a liquid which shouldit enter the container would produce no injurious effect upon theapparatus or its operation. Ac-

cordingly other liquids besides mercury might -be used provided carewere taken to select a.

liquid which should not involve the danger of injury, as indicated. Itis preferred that the liquid employed for the seal'should be of the samecharacter as the liquid constituting all or a part of the electrodes ofthe device. Should some other material besides mercury be chosen for anyof the electrodes, it would be lwell to utilize for the seal the samemateria panying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical section of-`an apparatus comprising a container'inclosinga suitable conducting gasor vapor and electrodes of the character above described, and Fig. 2 isa similar view of a modification.

The apparatus illustrated is designed, primarily, as a rectifier orso-called vapor-converter, and the container in the present instance isillustrated at l and its tubular extensions at 2 and 3. At one end Ofthe container is an electrode 5, the upper part of which is of mercury.Extending into the electrode 5 is a rod 6, of metal, such as copper,which is a better conductor than mercury itself. The copper rod issurrounded by a column of mercury inclosed Within a tube 7, of glass,silicia, or other insulating material. The tube 7 is iiared at thebottom and formed into a cup 8, into Which dips the lower end Myinvention. is illustrated in the accomof the metallic extension 3. Thetube 7, together with the cup 8 thereon, terminates inside a vessel 9,containing mercury. The cup is partially filled with mercury, so as toconstitute a seal for the lower end of the tube 3. The describedconstruction makes it possible to insulate the negative-electrode columnfrom the tubular extension of the container within which it is held andat the same time seals the leads to the terminals of the conducting gasor vapor.

The height of the mercury in the vessel 9 is such that atmosphericpressure will carry its upper portion 5 to av level, as shown, where itis adapted to constitute the surface of the negative electrode, asalready described.

Connection with the external circuit is made either through the vessel 9or through a wire dipping into the mercury in the said vessel.

rIfhe passage of current from the negative electrode to the externalcircuit will be assisted by the presence of the rod 6, having greaterconductivity than the mercury column, within which it is held. At thesame time the rod will exercise a cooling effect upon the mercurycolumn, and this may be still further aided by surrounding' theextension 3 with a water-jacket 10 for still further lowering thetemperature by locally-applied means. Moreover, the rod 6 may beprovided with ducts, as shown in dotted lines, through which a cooling'fluid may be caused to pass in constant or interrupted circulation.Connections to the lower outlets for the said ducts may be Vmade throughthe pipes 11 and 12, as indicated in the drawings.V

The structure at the left of the drawings is in the main similar tothatalready described. 1n this instance, however, the solid rod, whether ofcopper or some other material, extends above the surface of the mercuryand itself constitutes the positive electrode of the apparatus. a y ySeparate cooling devices may or may not be applied on the outside of theextension 2. As before, however, I have shown ducts extending throughthe solid rod for permitting an internal circulation of cooling fluidthrough the rod. In this part of the ligure the tube 13 corresponds tothe tube 7, the vessellll to the vessel 9, and the pipes 15 and 16 tothe pipes 11 and 12. Manifestly the system of pipes last mentioned mightbe combined to form a continuous system embracing in the circuit boththe ducts of the rod 6 and the ducts of the corresponding rod 17. Inthat case, however, care should be taken to prevent short circuits, andthis might be done by selecting a non-conducting fluid for the coolingprocess and causing it to pass through pipes of insulating material.Other means will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.rI`he latter rod as it appears in Fig. 1 differs from the rod 6 in thatit extends up through the mercury and is somethe said rod and the wallsof the tube 13 differs from that of the mercury column at the other sideof the apparatus in that the mer- .cury around the rod 17 serves simplyas a seal and forms no part of the electrode, except so far as it mayconvey a portion of the current on its way to the upper endof the rod17, whereas the mercury surrounding the rod 6 presents at its summit asurface which constitutes the actual negative-electrode surface.

In Fig. 2 the rod constituting the positive electrode may be insertedinto the apparatus in the form of'a pipe having coils 29 inside thecontainer and passing' out of the container through a thirdextension'30, having the same character as the extensions shown inFig. 1. In this instance the tube connected with the electrode 5 will beinsulated from the lrest of the container, as indicated at 31 31 in Fig.2. rIhe advantages of this construction are that the positive electrodemay have an extended surface, which is desirable in apparatus of thisclass, and may also be readily cooled by the circulation of a coolingfluid through the pipe constituting the said electrode.

I may surround the container 1 and the upper part of the extensions 2and 3 with a suitable receptacle, as 19, having screw connections withthe extensions 2 and 3. By lilling this receptacle with mercury Iprovide an adequate seal not only as between the receptacle and thetubular extensions, but also between the tubular extensions and the mainbody of the container. The mercury also serves as a seal for thecontainer as a whole. In this connection it should be repeated that theadvantages of using a mercury seal are due in great measure to the factthat the substance employed for the seal -is of the same character asthat constituting all or a part of the electrode-surfaces within thecontainer'. Consequently such mercury as leaks into the apparatus doesno injury to its operation.

rIhe usefulness of the liquid seal will obviously be extended to gasesin which it may be desired to cause more than one lead to enter thecontainer through a single extension thereof. It is not thoughtnecessary to illustrate this form of apparatus, as it will be apparentwithout illustration that-two or more tubes might pass through the tube7, for example, and still maintain their insulation with respect to eachother and to the surrounding tube.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus, acontainer consisting wholly or in part of metal, one or more extensionsof the said container, one or more electrodes within the container,consisting of a vaporizable fluid, and a fluid seal for the saidcontainer.

2. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus, a

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container consisting wholly or in part of metal, one or more extensionsof the said container, one or more electrodes within the container,consisting of a vaporizable fluid, and a fluid seal for the saidcontainer, the fluid constituting the seal being of the same characteras the fluid constituting one or more of the electrodes. A

3. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus, a container made up of two ormore parts provided with a suitable joint or joints, one or moreelectrodes within the container, consisting of a vaporizable fluid, anda fluid seal for the said container, the Huid constituting the sealbeing of the same character as the fluid constituting one or more of theelectrodes.

4. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus, av

container, a conducting gas or vapor therein, a liquid seal, and leadscomposed wholly or in part of material of greater conductivity than thesealing fluid.

5. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus, a container, a conducting gasor vapor therein, a liquid seal, and leads composed wholly or in part ofmaterial of greater conductivity than the sealing fluid, in combinationwith means for cooling the solid conductor or conductors.

6. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus, a container, a conducting gasor vapor therein and electrodesfor the said conducting gas or vapor, oneor both of the said electrodes being composed in part of a conductingfluid, a conducting-rod inside the fluid, whereby a partial cooling iseiected and better conduction is obtained, in combination withadditional cooling means outside the fluid.

7 The combination with a suitable container and a conducting gas orvapor therein, of a liquid electrode, 'in combination with external andinternal cooling means therefor.

8. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus, a container, a conducting gasor vapor therein, and electrodes for the said conducting gas or vapor,one or both of the said electrodes being formed wholly or in part of amaterial which 10. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus, a container, aconducting gas or vapor therein, and electrodes for the said conductinggas or vapor, one or both of the said electrodes being composed in partof mercury, a conducting-rod inside the mercury, whereby a partialcooling is keected and better conduction is attained, in combinationwith additional cooling means outside the mercury.

11. The combination with a suitable container, and a conducting gas orvapor therein,

of an electrode of mercury, in combination with external and internalcooling means therefor.

12. The combination with a suitable container and a conducting gas orvapor therein, of a tubular extension of the said container, anelectrode passing through the extension, an insulating-tube separatingthe electrode and the extension, and mercury seals protecting both theextension and the electrode.

13. The combination with a suitable container, and a conducting gas orvapor therein, of a tubular extension of the said container, anelectrode passing through the said extension, an insulating-tubeseparating the electrode and the extension, and liquid seals protectingboth the extension and the electrode.

14:. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus of the character described,wherein an external circulation through a metallic extension of thecontaineris possible, an electroderwithin the extension, aninsulating-wallsurrounding the electrode, and liquid seals forprotecting the-parts mentioned.

15. The combination with a suitable container and a .conducting gas orvapor therein, of a tubular extension oi' the said container, and two ormore conductors whose leads pass through the said extension and areinsulated from each other.

16. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus, a container constructed whollyor in part of metal, and an insulated tubular inlet protected by aliquid seal.

17. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus, a container constructed whollyor in part of metal, and an insulated tubular inlet protected by amercury seal.

Signed at New York, in the county of New fio IOO

York and State of New York,.this 13th day of February, A. D. 1903.

MAX VON RECKLINGHAUSEN.

